


Light of My Life

by StarryEyedSpaceGirl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Battle of Hogwarts, F/M, Forbidden Love, Friendship, Love, Magic, Reylo - Freeform, Romance, Slow Burn, Suspense, The Force, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-02-18 17:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21581245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryEyedSpaceGirl/pseuds/StarryEyedSpaceGirl
Summary: Reylo AU in the Wonderful World of Harry Potter: flushing out my dream Reylo in one of my favorite worlds. Honestly, I'm just enjoying the whole writing process so feel free to comment, review, or like to tell me what you think. Constructive criticism always welcome :)
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Phasma, Kylo Ren/Rey
Comments: 12
Kudos: 23





	1. Kylo Ren

"It should have been me walking over to your table last week. Slytherin is my house. I should be in the dungeons with you, and not in that stupid tower." Kylo Ren scowled. "I think my Uncle must have bribed the hat into calling my name..."

"You know nobody can do that." Hux replied impatiently.

"It's not like Headmaster Skywalker can do anything about it now anyway." Phasma added, sharing a sour look with Hux.

The two had been listening to Kylo complain for two years since the friends had been sorted into separate houses.

Most of the students gave the two sneering Slytherins and the unhappy Gryffindor wide birth as they strolled through the halls towards double charms. Although it was only his third year at Hogwarts, Kylo's extensive skill with magic and hot temper already had school-wide notoriety, and it was clear that today he was in a bad mood.

He gave the floor a kick. "I can't believe that girl made it into Slytherin. She isn't even from anywhere! She's an orphan, a nobody. What was the hat thinking?"

"And she's already making friends."

"Yes, Finn and Poe Dameron." Hux sneered. "The Hufflepuff and the Gryffindor."

Phasma sniffed. "Apparently being an orphan means you don't mind hanging out with scum."

A passing paper bird that had been entertaining a group of first years was suddenly incinerated by a frustrated blast from Kylo's wand. Their dismayed cries were quickly squelched by an angry look from the brooding boy.

Hux wiped at a stray ash that floated onto his robes. "She also has quite a talent for magic. Only a week in, and the teachers are already impressed by her natural talents."

Kylo reddened. "Well, she'll never surpass me. Magic is in my blood after all."

He stopped dead at the sight of the girl in question dancing around the garden with an enchanted butterfly in her hand. Her two self-proclaimed guardians, Finn and Poe, were laughing nearby as they watched Poe's orange mutt chase a gnome across the yard. How he hated the sight of them.

Rey from the little town of Jakku. A nobody from nowhere who somehow managed to charm her way into the best house and into the hearts of all the teachers. It was sickening.

He watched her catch sight of him across the courtyard, and the smile slid off her face.

Good. Let her see his displeasure.

In that moment Poe turned and with a smirk sent him a rude gesture.

Prick.

With a sneer, he walked on. Hux and Phasma were waiting for him a short way off, whispering to each other. When they saw him approach they stopped abruptly, but he didn't care. He knew they talked about him behind his back. In his heart, he knew they were only friends with him because he was one of the most influential students in the school. His uncle was the Headmaster, which gave him a certain amount of importance, and his parents were famous Aurors. You'd have to be an idiot not to align yourself with such a person, and Hux and Phasma were certainly not idiots. He was the means to an end for them, and he knew that neither of them would be extremely bothered if he were suddenly jinxed and shipped off to Saint Mungo's for the rest of his life. Still, they were useful to have around. Being from prominent families themselves, they understood his desire to make a mark on the world.

He heaved a frustrated sigh and wiped his long black locks out of his face.

The girl wasn't going to be anything he couldn't handle. After all, he was Leia Organa and Han Solo's son. He was born into privilege and power, and there was nothing that little slip of a girl could do to change that. There was nothing she could do to get in the way of his destiny.

Kylo kept his eye on the orphan Rey as the months went on. She showed surprising amounts of talent and power for one so small, and it was far too pronounced for her to really be a nobody. He started to wonder if perhaps there was some famous blood in her after all, but he was far too busy to think much about it. He needed to keep good grades and remain at the top of his class if he was going to take the same path as his parents. The professors were taking an unusual amount of interest in his career as well. He wasn't sure if it was his uncle's doing or not, but they seemed to keep an extra close eye on him during classes while trying their best to look like they weren't. They probably didn't want to be accused of playing favorites. Not that it mattered. He was nobody's favorite. He rarely spoke to his Uncle, the actual Headmaster of the school, and he rarely got along with the other students. He was too emotional to be likable, and too funny looking to be considered handsome. To top it all off, he rarely got news from his parents unless they were in an article in the Daily Prophet, or it was his birthday, or when his mother occasionally remembered to check in on him. He hardly ever heard from his father.

It wasn't long before Christmas break arrived, and everyone seemed to be going home for the holidays except for himself and a small handful of students. Including Rey. Apparently, she had nowhere to go except back to the orphanage, whereas there was no point in him going home because he got a letter from his mother saying they were too busy to be home for Christmas. He told himself that he didn't care. It was much better this way because he wanted to practice spells over Christmas break anyway, and Wizarding law prevented students from doing magic outside of school.

With most everyone gone from the castle, he hardly ran into anyone during the break except a professor here or there. In fact, he spent most of his time studying in a private room or practicing in one of the unused classrooms. The week dragged by, and finally it was Christmas Eve. He never expected anything much on Christmas except a few candies and maybe a new coat or pair of trousers from his mom because she swore that he always seemed to grow at least three inches during the school sessions. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he always looked forward to these gifts because it meant that his mom had thought about him for at least five minutes while he was away.

Breakfast was a quiet ordeal, and he left it quickly in order to set up his usual practice area in the unused Charms classroom. He was practicing a spell of his own design, a spell that temporarily chokes the intended victim. He'd discovered it one day while attempting to practice a silencing charm, and so far he'd discovered that it didn't need a counter-curse. What he was really trying to figure out now was if there were any negative effects, or how long he could actually choke someone, and how tightly. To that end, he had a notebook and a self-writing quill ready for his dictation. So far he'd only used transfigured mice and ravens for his experiments, and they seemed to be responding fairly well, but his success rate was spotty at best. He realized that his emotions largely dictated the length and intensity of the choke.

He had been working at it for a good half hour, and was about to begin casting his next round of attempts when she stumbled into the room.

Rey. The girl he had never actually met, just seen from across rooms and heard about from his two Slytherin friends. She was extremely small now that he saw her up close, and not at all what he expected.

She didn't seem to realize he was there as she leaned on the door with her ear pressed against the rough wood. She was breathing hard, and it was no wonder because she was holding a bulging schoolbag and a pile of books that looked like they weighed at least two times what she did. Her cheeks were rosy from exertion and she was wearing a very worn looking jumper and jeans with holes in them, although not the fashionable kind. Her hair was tied haphazardly in three buns on the top of her head as if she'd been in a hurry and nobody had taught her how to do her hair before.

"Hello." He finally said. She whirled around looking panicked as he drew himself up to his full height, which was already almost six feet. He knew he cut an intimidating figure in his all-black ensemble and he was used to seeing the panic in people's eyes, but what he was not prepared for was the sudden scowl as she said "shh!", and pressed her ear back up against the door.

After a moment or two of her completely ignoring him, he frowned. "I'm sorry, but this classroom is already taken. You need to leave."

"Would you please keep quiet?" She whispered.

His frown deepened. "I'm not sure if you realized but I'm..."

"I know who you are." She said coldly. She gave him a contemptuous look. "You're Kylo Ren. I've heard about you. I also know you jinxed that first year for accidentally dumping his plate into your lap last week."

His mouth tightened. He remembered the boy. His feet were far too large for his body, which had resulted in his tripping constantly. Kylo had been more inclined to feel sorry for him since he knew what it was like to have an ungainly appearance, but it had been Hux who'd jinxed him, not Kylo. Still, he didn't feel like correcting her assumption. Everyone thought he'd done it, so why not just embrace it? He didn't think it was such a bad thing to have a reputation like that, it kept people from bothering you.

"That was very mean."

He just shrugged.

She frowned and turned her back, apparently writing him off as a bad job. She strained hard to listen through the keyhole.

"Hiding from someone?" He couldn't help but ask.

"No! Well, yes. Sort of."

"Nick food from the kitchens?"

She stiffened. "I'm not a thief!"

He'd hit a nerve apparently. He was curious just how far he could push that nerve before she snapped. He turned away as if to continue practicing. "Surely you didn't have much growing up. It's clear from the rips in your pants and the dirt on your elbows. In a place like Hogwarts, who would even notice some missing puddings? I promise I'd never tell."

"I would never, ever!"

He heard a large thump and turned his head to see that she'd dropped all her book. She was trembling from head to foot, and her wand was out and pointing at his back. Her eyes had gone wild and were glistening. Were those tears? She was angry, that much he could tell from the clenching of her fist.

He raised an eyebrow. Apparently, he'd hit a very raw nerve. She had guts, that much he could admit. He'd never seen anyone look at him with such fire in their eyes before. It was quite flattering really.

"Put away the wand, I don't want to hurt you."

"You don't intimidate me." She hissed. "I've grown up around bullies like you all my life. I know how to handle myself."

He flushed. While he occasionally performed some intimidation tactics with students who thought they could get away with being disrespectful to him, he'd never been the one who initiated it. He always tried to keep his head down and do his best to live up to his mighty Skywalker name.

And just because he had a bit of a temper didn't mean he was a bully.

His hand twitched on his wand. Maybe he should put a minor curse on her, just to show her exactly who she was insulting.

Before he could decide whether that was a wise decision or not, a shuffling outside the door seemed to snap her out of her sudden rage. She put away her wand and went back to listen intently at the door. He considered it a blessing in disguise. He shook his head. He couldn't believe he'd been so ready to curse a little girl for throwing an insult at him. It was idiotic to take anything she said to heart. She was nothing to him.

Unfortunately, his hubris was also his greatest weakness.

"Finally." She breathed, and hastily gathered her things. "I think they've gone."

"Good, now you may leave the way you came."

It didn't matter that she'd clearly been talking to herself. He was quite ready to be rid of her presence as soon as possible.

"Fine." She bit out, and somehow managed to fling the door open even though her hands were full. She paused at the frame to send him one last contemptuous glare before speeding off.

Taking a deep calming breath, he walked to the door and looked out. He saw Rey's tiny form disappear down the hall at the same moment that Mrs. Norris appeared at the opposite end of the hall, followed by a blustering Filch.

So, the little imp was trying to avoid the castle's most despised staff member, second only to Professor Snape. Not even he could fault her for that, although it did make him wonder what she had in her bag that had caused her to panic at the sight of him. Clearly something illegal. Not that it mattered in the least, Filch had made a great number of things illegal in his time, including talking over a whisper in the hallways.

"Yes my sweet, we'll get them next time. We know they've been sneaking in through secret passageways, and we've got all the exits blocked. They can't hide forever!"

Kylo shook his head to clear his head of the girl and firmly shut the door on Filch's unintelligible mutterings. He had better things to do with his time than dwell on some nameless girl. Like perfecting his new spell.


	2. Rey the Orphan

What a terrible, terrible boy!

Rey thought angrily to herself as she wove in and out of the empty halls towards the dungeons.

I wish I could wipe that stupid smirk from off his stupid face for good!

She stumbled as she tried to catch one of the books that she'd grabbed haphazardly from off the floor in her haste to exit the Charms room. She wasn't really afraid of Kylo Ren, but it hadn't been smart to challenge him to a duel. He'd looked about ready to curse her into oblivion for calling him a bully, and she'd never been in a real wizard fight before.

Duels I guess they called them. She was so used to using her fists and any available inanimate objects to defend herself against attacks that it had felt strange to grab at the small wand she'd only just gotten used to stowing in her back pocket. She'd only ever had to defend herself against unsteady drunkards, but never against tall, able-bodied thirteen-year-olds who were the size of a small horse.

It was probably a good thing Filch had gone by when he did. He'd probably saved her from her own stupidity.

She had to slow-down to ease the stitch in her side. She was burdened down with so many packages that she was fit to burst. She still had a hard time believing that she actually had money to spend on gifts, let alone to have any friends to spend them on. She'd spent her whole life in the foster care system, tossed in and out of homes and orphanages like an unwelcome disease, and in and out of the hands of greedy and filthy men like Unkar Plutt. She couldn't help the involuntary shiver that escaped her when she remembered his bloodshot eyes and the snap of his belt when he hit the younger children across their hands until they were cracked and bleeding. He'd never dared lay a hand on her though because she'd showed him very early on that she couldn't be pushed around. She'd learned how to deal with scumbags when she was very young, and she'd fought hard for her safety and independence. It wasn't until she'd met Unkar that she understood how much her practice and study had paid off.

Not to mention that she'd been unintentionally using magic to protect herself for her entire life. She'd always thought that it was just incredible luck that had helped her escape from the abuse of her alcoholic foster parents. Turns out she was a witch, and a good one too.

She spoke the password and was allowed entrance into the Common room. There weren't very many people about so she didn't feel weird for hustling into her room and slamming the door on the rest of the world. She dumped her load onto the bed and slipped a small tarnished key out of her pocket and into the lining of her bed next to the treasured note.

The key that Poe had slipped into her hand before he'd left with a whispered "Happy Christmas", and the note that Finn had enchanted to look like a Christmas elf before kissing her cheek and telling her not to have too much fun without them.

The note and key had been her salvation, containing directions to a hidden passage to Hogsmeade, the place that first years were forbidden to go but she'd been dying to visit since her two best friends had told her about it after their first trip.

To be honest, she had no idea where the money came from. She couldn't have been more surprised when she got her Hogwarts letter earlier that year telling her that she was a witch and would be going to a prestigious school to learn magic, but discovering that she also had a small fortune waiting for her from an anonymous donor had been a real shock. Why would anyone do anything for her, the little girl who couldn't seem to last more than a week in any foster house? Could it be that her parents were looking out for her?

Not that it mattered much at the moment. At least safe from Unkar Plutt and the foster system for the time being. Professor McGonagall had informed her at the beginning of the year that they would set up some sort of program with the families of one of the other students so that she wouldn't end up in the orphanage every summer. It just so happened that it was Poe's family who volunteered. Finn's adopted parents. Her two best friends.

Unfortunately for her, the family had already planned on a trip out of town for the holidays, and it was too late for her to get a ticket to go with them. But starting next year they'd promised.

"Next year we're going to Majorca!" Poe's grin had been infectious.

"Where's Majorca?"

"Spain. You'll love it there. It's by the Sea, and I know how much you want to see the sea."

Finn's eyes sparkled. "Plus there's a super awesome exotic animal expo that will be going on, and I hear there will be a real live dragon!"

She smiled as she looked at her packages. Oh, how she missed their cheerful faces already.

In an attempt to shake the sudden onset of melancholy she ran a silent inventory of her new acquisitions: For Finn she'd bought a dozen joke wands that turned into a silly objects when anyone tried to use them, and for Poe she bought a broom polishing kit and a book about his favorite Quidditch player of all time: Leia Organa-Skywalker.

Funny that he should love the mother of his sworn enemy. He and Kylo were in the same year, and they had despised each other from the very beginning, or so Poe said. Apparently they had irreconcilable differences. Also, Poe liked to amuse himself by pranking Kylo and his horrible friends whenever he could manage it which didn't help. Kylo did hang out with the worst sort of people. Despite the fact that they were fairly attractive, that boy Hux always looked like he was smelling something terrible, and Phasma obviously thought very well of herself. Rey didn't think she'd seen her talk to anyone who wasn't from a pureblood family.

The picture of Kylo Ren filled her mind and she scowled. It was well known around the school that he was the most talented student, and he had a pureblood family name to back it all up, which was probably why they were his friends. Whereas she… well, her parents were clearly from a strong magical background, although she'd never known them. She'd been left on the front steps of a Scotland yard station when she was just a baby. She still held onto the belief that they'd come back to get her one day. Especially now that she was going to a reputable school, she hoped that when they came back they'd see how well she was doing and be proud.

With such a hopeful thought in her head, Rey tramped out into the cold in her threadbare clothes and to the Owlery, arms full of presents and heart full of love.


	3. The Decision

Kylo stared darkly out the train window, trying to drown out the heated argument of his two friends turned lovers so that he could think. Last year, during their fourth year at Hogwarts, Hux and Phasma had made it official and were now the two most insufferable pair of imbeciles he had ever had the misfortune to know. When they weren't pretending that they weren't a couple, or disappearing to have secret tête-à-têtes in some random dark corner of the castle, they were bickering. Always, always bickering. And it was grating on his already frayed nerves.

They couldn't get to wherever they were supposed to be going soon enough.

It was all a big secret, very hush hush. The only reason he was taking this train only a week before term started was because he was given a special invitation by Hux's parents. Or more specifically, by an unknown person of interest. He didn't know who, but since he knew the kind of people they were, he could make a fairly educated guess.

It had something to do with Lord Voldemort.

He heaved a dark sigh and cast the now silent couple a look of disgust. They had apparently made up and were practically glued to each other in the corner of the cabin. It was an embarrassing display of childish passion, and he was sorry to be there to see it. If he were to ever have a girlfriend, he wouldn't treat her like a wrestling partner. He'd be a proper gentleman, and wait until they were alone before showing her how he felt. Then he'd hold her in his arms and caress her heart-shaped face, leaning down to whisper her name against her soft pillow lips like a prayer…

Rey.

The train jolted him out of his fantasy and he flushed, silently cursing himself. Why did that infernal girl always pop into his head? It was all his friends' fault. They insisted on being all over each other and it was starting to rub off on him. It made him crazy! He turned resolutely away to look out the window.

The truth was that he didn't care about Rey. He didn't. He didn't care that while he heard less and less from his parents, she seemed to rally more friends and admirers around her. He didn't care that while she was becoming the star Quidditch player and turning into a strong and kind leader, he was being slowly being ostracized by all except a chosen few. And what a choice few they were. The rich, the pure blooded, the ones with influence... Or Deatheaters in other words.

Oh yes, his inner circle had slowly begun to morph into elitist muggle-hating fanatics.

He had often listened to others discuss the idea of wizardkind showing themselves to the world and becoming leaders in the Muggle community. The argument seemed to be that wizardkind had gifts that not even the brightest muggle mind could fathom or imitate, so why should they stay in hiding? Wizardkind should rule over the muggles! Well, that's what Hux claimed anyway. His parents, on the other hand, did not approve of this type of thinking. His mother was a firm believer in maintaining the world order as it was, with wizardkind and muggles separated. She believed that no good could come from the two being integrated. His father agreed with her.

Kylo didn't know how he felt. All he wanted was a chance to prove himself, to be noticed and appreciated. To prove that he could be everything his namesake expected of him. If making that a reality meant creating a new world order, then so be it.

He spent the rest of the ride in brooding silence, and when they finally reached the station Hux's parents were there to meet them. They seemed awfully eager to make him feel welcome, in the same sort of way that Hux was always eager to agree with his points of view.

A bunch of sniveling cowards, the lot of them.

He smiled grimly at the girl's description of his friends, and he couldn't disagree. They were cowards, but at least they were cowards who appreciated and accepted him.

They stepped into a nearby alley and took turns disapparating with the Huxs, and when Kylo's turn arrived he found himself on the front porch of some dark and obscured mansion. He didn't recognize it as he stepped inside and was ushered into the dining area, where all manner of dark and shadowy people were muttering quietly to each other. They all stopped to stare as Hux's mother led him towards the head of the table. He noticed that even though he was only fifteen, he was still a whole head taller than almost everyone in the room. Coupled with several cowed and untrusting faces, it was a powerful feeling. He didn't sit when Mrs. Hux indicated he should and instead gave the now silent room a good once over. It was only after he decided he was finished that he lowered himself into the chair.

Strange that he should be seated in the seat of honor when it was obvious Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucious Malfoy were both present at the gathering. A gathering of Deatheaters.

He heard a dark and mirthless chuckle from the chair at the head of the table and felt some surprise when he looked deeper in and realized that those two red slits were the eyes of the Dark Lord himself.

"I am glad you decided to answer my invitation. You are even more exceptional than what I expected."

"Thank you, my Lord." Kylo tried to hide the flush that rose to his cheeks even as he said these words. The dark lord himself had extended his invitation? And thought he was exceptional? He had never heard such high praise from anyone, even his mother.

A large snake hissed close by and Kylo watched with fascination as it wound its way across the floor, causing the occupants of the room to shudder in fear and disgust. It locked eyes with Kylo and seemed to make a beeline for him, slithering up the table and pausing inches from his face. Kylo suddenly found himself in a staring contest with a creature that could never lose.

He tried not to sweat.

"Impressive. Your ability to clear your mind reminds me of your dear uncle Skywalker. He has always been very skilled at Occlumency. You have a trace of it, although I could still feel your fear… He must have taught you when you were young, before he gained the prestigious position of Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The barb stung because it was true. His Uncle had spent more time with him before he gained the honor of being Headmaster.

Voldemort lowered his voice, although the effect seemed to draw the attention of the entire room, including Kylo. "This is what we need to gain a foothold in this useless war. We need pure blood, strong abilities, and minds that understand how to utilize power… for something far greater."

The words sent an odd sort of thrill down his spine. This was someone who understood him.

"I must give some credit to the Hux family for bringing our guest of honor. It became clear to me after Harry Potter continued to thwart my plans from within Hogwarts that I needed someone to be my personal right hand inside the school. I needed someone who would be untouchable, and not already so filled with his own sorrows and broken heart that it makes him a blind fool."

Kylo heard sniggering behind him, but he was fixated upon Lord Voldemort's words. A right hand man inside Hogwarts? Could he possibly mean himself? He had never considered being a Deatheater before. It seemed ridiculous to be on the other side of something as his parents. After all, they'd given him his name and it was only right that...

"My dear boy, that name is not even a name that you choose to carry."

Kylo whipped his head around to stare at the dark lord. Had he spoken his thoughts aloud?

The smile he received was benevolent, understanding. "The mighty Skywalker name is one that you chose to shun as soon as you arrived at the school, is it not? You didn't want to carry the burden of your parents. You wanted a fresh start, to make a name outside of it. A worthy cause. I too understand the burden of carrying a name you do not want to keep." He nodded slowly. "Yes, Kylo Ren is what you call yourself. A powerful name. One so powerful that even the teachers have begun to use it. It is a wonder that even at fifteen you exert influence upon others who are far above you..."

Kylo's heart pounded in his chest. He had never thought that he truly had that much influence upon anyone. He'd believed it was enough to get others to leave him alone, but perhaps he was using that influence incorrectly…

"Many fear you. Yes, even your Uncle fears you. That is why he keeps you at a distance. He sees what you are capable of, how you draw power and influence to yourself and wear it like a well-worn cloak. He may fear it, but I see what you can truly become. You have much potential, and I could teach you how to fully harness your untapped power."

Kylo could feel the idea take root inside him. Even he had heard his Uncle say that Lord Voldemort was the most powerful wizard of all time, second only to Dumbledore. He'd met Dumbledore before. His parents often had him and other influential wizards over for dinner since they ran in the same circles. He seemed like a wise and knowing man who always had his gaze fixed far out into the future...Although, Kylo had never managed to hold a conversation with him that extended beyond the weather or some article in the Daily Prophet that had tickled his fancy.

"What I need is a man like you to work my will within the school. I see how you have rallied others around you, and you could use that influence to help me bring about the rise of Wizardkind. Too long we have been held back by fools who think that we should live in hiding among Mudbloods and Muggles. Do we not deserve so much better? Do we not deserve to rise above and create a new world order where we can thrive?"

The room was filling with agreements and mutterings, and Kylo could feel himself being drawn into it. It all made sense, didn't it? Why were wizards hiding when they could clearly make the world a better place?

"So, Kylo Ren. What do you say to my offer? Will you join me and be my man inside Hogwarts?"

Kylo looked around at the table full of people waiting expectantly. Staring at him. Was it respect he saw in their eyes? Awe? Jealousy? Hatred? It gave him a rush. Here he was an outsider, only fifteen years old and given the seat of honor above even Voldemort's most trusted Deatheaters. And for what? A special invitation to join his ranks and learn from the Dark Lord himself. It was a once in a lifetime invitation.

Expectancy vibrated in the air, and in that very moment, he felt his power and what he could achieve with it. He didn't even need to speak the words as he looked at Voldemort and saw his smile. He'd read his decision in his mind, be he thought he should say it out loud for the benefit of the whole room.

"It would be an honor, my lord."


	4. Rumors

"Have you seen Kylo lately? He's been acting really weird."

"Rey, Kylo always acts weird. He's a weirdo, it's what weirdos do."

Rey made a face at Finn, who was tossing Bertie Bott's Beans in the air and catching them in his mouth. Poe hadn't raised his head from the article he was reading in the Daily Prophet on the national Quidditch standings.

"I mean, weird for him. He hasn't hexed anyone or been in a duel in weeks."

"Maybe he's had a change of heart about people."

"That's definitely not it. There's something off." Rey absently saved Falcon, her new pet Porg Finn had bought her in Majorca, as it almost fell off her lap for the seventh time. It was cooing and bobbing around in blissful ignorance, unaware of its brush with danger as she practiced her levitation charm.

Rey stared across the hall where Hux and the boy in question could be seen in a furtive meeting underneath an alcove.

"They're up to something," Rey muttered.

Against her better judgment, Rey always found her thoughts turning to the boy with smoldering eyes and a dark presence. She knew he was trouble. Oh yes, she'd known he was trouble the moment she'd locked eyes with him in the square that first month of school. She could tell exactly the kind of boy he was. He was enigmatic and mysterious, drawing people towards him with his interesting persona and then pushing them away with his coldness. He was angry and powerful and had just started to grow into his lanky and awkward features to the point that almost every girl in the school secretly dreamed of being his girlfriend. Except for herself and Rose of course. She and Rose had steady heads on their shoulders and understood that kindness and a warm heart were better than striking features and sexy hair. That's why she was dating Finn, and Rey was definitely not dating Kylo. I mean the very idea of having that boy even considering her, a mudblood, an orphan, a nobody… well, it was just absurd! Besides, she had her own theories about him that made her skin turn cold...

"Rey, you're making it rain."

"Oh!"

Startled, Rey managed to think of the counter curse to the non-verbal spell she'd absently been practicing. She watched a few delighted first years that had been jumping into puddles cry out in disappointment as the source of their joy was suddenly cut off.

She quickly looked back over to Hux and Kylo, but they were apparently finished with their conversation and were about to part. She tensed to stand.

"Just leave it." Finn said earnestly. "You remember what happened the last time you picked a fight?"

"Yeah, I ended up in detention and missed a Quidditch match, and Kylo got off on some bollocks excuse. You know-"

"Just leave it Rey." Poe said firmly, finally looking up from his paper to scowl. But she noticed that he couldn't seem to help sneaking a look at the two boys with a look of serious contemplation.

She smiled smugly to herself. She could tell Poe was slowly coming around to her side of things, even when Finn was trying to believe the best. But Rey was nothing if not persuasive. She was convinced that Kylo Ren, son of two of the greatest Aurors of their time, had joined ranks with Voldemort's Deatheaters.

Not that she necessarily wished it to be true, but she was pretty smart. She never accepted what other people believed simply because "it was the official position of the ministry". No, she listened to her gut, and her gut told her that Kylo was a Deatheater. She also believed she had some proof, for Kylo often disappeared on the weekends, not to be seen again till his next class sessions. She hypothesized that he was leaving the Hogwarts grounds to go to Deatheater meetings, and she had often tried to follow him to prove her theory correct. Yet he always managed to give her the slip at the last moment. But besides his mysterious disappearances, she also noticed that he always wore long sleeves, even in the blazing heat. And if he ever broke a sweat, it was his right sleeve that was raised, while he made pains to assure that his left forearm was modestly hidden from view.

What was he hiding there? A dark mark?

Finn and Poe told her she was just being paranoid, but it seemed to Poe was finally putting some stock to her accusations. Perhaps it was because in light of recent events. They'd gotten their monthly letter from their parents about the kidnappings and murders that hadn't been recognized in the Daily Prophet. It appeared that the Prophet was no longer putting out the news, but rather was subverting the truth, constantly trying to deny the truth about Voldemort's return. Trying to make Harry Potter out to be some kind of delusional child. There also seemed to be an increase in werwolf sightings, and there were rumors that Dementors were no longer within the Ministry's control.

Rey was also convinced there was more behind the strange things had been happening at the school since term began than met the eye. However, nobody else seemed to want to address the subject at all. Yet she had questions that burned to be answered. Such as, why were the only "accidents" in the school occurring to mudbloods or children of important ministry officials? Or more specifically, important ministry officials who opposed Voldemort…

They were still reeling from the loss of Rose's older sister, who'd died just last week. She'd been making a name for herself as an Auror since she'd graduated Hogwarts, and had been a member of the Order of the Phoenix, rounding up her fair share of dangerous wizards. She'd overheard Leia Organa speaking to Headmaster Skywalker about the terrible affair. Apparently she'd been formidable enough that Voldemort had sent one of his highest ranked Deatheater's to dispatch her.

Rose was currently at home with her parents, grieving their loss.

As she watched Hux and Kylo part ways, she hardened her resolve.

It was time for her to make a decision. Something momentous had occurred to Kylo over summer holidays, something that had even stopped him from sneering at her in the hallways when they passed. He'd been more focused, intense, and pensive. His skills with magic, which she knew were already very impressive, seemed to be growing more dark and powerful by the day. She also suspected that he had mastered non-verbal spells, which was why she'd taken to going to the library after hours to study herself. She hated the thought of someone so powerful having nobody to rival him.

Poe's exasperated sigh drew Rey out of her thoughts. "Alright, alright, I'll do it."

He held up his hand and she opened her mouth to speak. "But we're doing it my way, or no way at all, got it? No duels, no confrontations, just good old fashioned recon."

She nodded vigorously, her heart pounding in her chest as Finn started arguing with Poe.

"You're not spies Poe! You're not like Harry Potter. You can't just break the rules and hope that your fame will save you. Besides, accusing anybody of being a Deatheater is bad enough, but the nephew of the Headmaster and son of famous Aurors? You do realize-"

Poe cut him off. "Look Finn, she's gonna try to do it anyway, whether we go with her or not… yes I said we! You're much better at defensive spells than I am. And if we think there might even be a slight possibility that Voldemort now has spies in the castle, isn't it our duty to find them out?"

"But Headmaster Skywalker said..."

"Damn the Headmaster!" Poe shouted a little too loudly. Thankfully there were only a handful of kids around to hear it, and they were far too involved in their game of gobstones to register Poe's sudden outburst.

He lowered his voice to a hiss, though his eyes still flashed. "Damn the rules and damn all those who sit back and do nothing when people are out there dying! Think of what mom and dad said Finn, and think of Rose. Her sister was murdered. The Order knows it, mom and dad know it, and even the ministry knows it, the bloody cowards. We have the power to really do something here."

Finn looked shaken. "You don't really think that Kylo..."

"I don't know, but Rey happens to think he is, and I wouldn't put it past the haughty prick. What I do know is that we can't just sit here and do nothing! Besides, you'd be helping us make sure that Rose's sister didn't die in vain. Rose would appreciate that. I know I would."

Finn looked beaten, and Rey could tell immediately that he'd been won over. "Alright, alright, fine. So how are we going to do it then?"

Poe continued, his unusual gravity being replaced with his characteristic grin. "I happen to have a foolproof plan. I also happen to know that Potter's got an invisibility cloak and a special map of the castle, and he owes me big time for that incident involving his almost catastrophic public humiliation..."

Rey scoffed, "There was no way you could have predicted that Romilda wouldn't exact her revenge on Harry Potter after getting snogged by you."

"There was no way it could have gone wrong." Poe said smugly, "And Potter seemed pretty grateful for it, especially since he's actually got his eye on a certain red-headed beauty..."

"Are you talking about Ginny Weasley?" Finn asked, startled. "Blimey. I didn't know they liked each other..."

As Poe and Finn began to discuss the lies and rumors surrounding Harry Potter, Rey grinned. She was glad her two best friends were coming along to have her back.

There was no way Kylo could slip through her fingers now.


	5. The Daring Plan

"What was that?"

"It's fine Finn, it's just a shadow."

"I can't believe I let you two talk me into this. If we get caught…"

"We won't get caught!"

"We'll get caught if you both keep talking so shut it."

Rey made a face at Poe even though he couldn't see it. She was smashed awkwardly up against his arm, and Finn was crouched on his other side. They were attempting to stay hidden underneath Potter's special cape while they waited for Kylo Ren to emerge from Gryffindor tower, but it was getting difficult as the hours ticked by. Finn and Poe hadn't seemed to anticipate the boredom of waiting, which had made Poe more fidgety and Finn more anxious, but she had come prepared.

Rey shifted slightly so she could stuff another biscuit in her mouth. She chewed happily as she thought about Poe's plan. It was an okay plan as far as plans went, but seemed to rely heavily on luck (Typical Poe), which was why she had another trick up her sleeve. Or in this case, back pocket. She reached back for the hundredth time to make sure it was still there, and relaxed as she felt it reassuring weight. It had taken almost all of her allowance to purchase it, but she thought it was more than worth the loss of her spending money.

Bringing her thoughts back around to Poe's plan, she ran through all the essential information: Kylo typically departed Gryffindor tower at 2 am on the dot and never took the same route twice through the castle. That being the case, Poe thought that is was important to follow as closely to their culprit as possible, which meant that they'd had to coordinate sneaking out of their common rooms an hour before curfew- a frighteningly easy feat thanks to Potter's two highly illegal but incredibly useful magical artifacts- so they could maintain as close a distance to him as possible. After that the plan was painfully simple: when Kylo emerged from the tower they would follow him at a relatively safe distance and try to figure out how he left the castle.

No matter that Rey had tried and failed to track Kylo on several occasions with a very similar plan, there was no just telling Poe his plan was stupid when he got it into his head that it was brilliant.

Hence her backup plan.

"Rey, would you mind not chewing so loudly?" Finn whispered in a strained voice. "Mrs. Norris could be anywhere!"

"Don't get your knickers in a wad." Rey took another bite. "I cast Muffliato around us as soon as we got here. Besides, we've got Harry Potter's poncho…"

"Invisibility cloak…"

"Exactly! And we've got his castle GPS…"

"GPS?"

"I think she means his map."

"That's what I said! Come on guys, late night adventures, breaking the rules, trying to get that toe rag Kylo and his friends in trouble, this is the kind of stuff we've been talking about wanting to do for ages!"

"But this time we're not just trying to get him in trouble," Finn continued to whisper, "we're trying to prove he's a Death Eater."

"He's right Rey. There is so much more at stake now than just school rivalries, this could help change the fate of the world as we know it...And we have a responsibility to do everything we can to help the Order of the Phoenix stop the rise of Voldemort."

Finn shuddered at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, but Rey noticed Poe hadn't been able to hide the fervor in his voice. She grinned. Looked like Poe was just as interested in catching Kylo as she was, although for vastly different reasons.

"It's 2 minutes till 2." Finn whispered nervously.

"And it looks like we're going to have a bit more company tonight." Poe muttered. "We've got Hux and Phasma out of bed."

A thrill went through Rey as she stuffed her remaining biscuit into her sweatshirt and once again checked the small package she had hidden in her back pocket. She had a good feeling about tonight. With Kylo's friends coming along, it was going to be that much easier to trace them.

"The happy couple are heading towards the sixth floor. Kylo's coming downstairs."

Collectively they held their breath. Rey's heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and she gripped her wand with a shaking hand. She'd been practicing some spells she hoped would protect them should things go awry, and she was repeating them over and over as the two minutes slowly ticked by. Finally, the portrait door silently swung open before them… and a black cloaked figure emerged.

The figure's wand was out and ready to strike, but it's stance seemed… relaxed. Unworried.

Arrogant.

The figure paused only a moment to shut the door quietly so that the fat lady didn't awaken before it took off at a swift but silent pace down the corridor.

The three remained in huddled silence until they could no longer hear the click of his shoes on the stone steps.

"We'll give him a few more seconds head-start since he has to meet up with his idiot friends." Poe muttered. Then, after a moment of silence, "You didn't mention he liked to wander around in costume. What was with the apparatus?"

"I don't really know, but I think it's a Death Eater mask."

"It's not like any Death Eater mask I've seen." Finn, who was the history buff of the group, seemed to forget he was worried for a moment in the aftermath of such a dramatic entrance.

"Knowing Kylo, he probably bought it from Borgin and Burkes because it was cursed or some such bollocks. The cocky bastard."

Rey tugged on his shirt as she spotted a certain pair of footsteps dancing around seemingly in the direction of the sixth floor. "If we don't hurry up, we're going to have to sneak around Peeves!"

"Damn!"

Somehow they managed to coordinate their movements to keep most of their bodies hidden as they hurried to the steps and tried to follow Kylo as he trailed down the stairs. Rey thought that a few of the portraits caught sight of their feet on occasion, and as they shuffled past she watched them rub their eyes and utter muffled exclamations of "I say!" before muttering and falling back into their frames.

They were doing pretty well keeping up with Kylo until they began to approach the third-floor staircase.

"Poe slow down!" Finn hissed as his brother began to pick up the pace.

"He'd getting too far ahead, we need to close the gap in case he decides to take a detour."

"But what about the vanishing-"

Finn and Rey both crumpled and fell as Poe suddenly dropped from their line of sight with a shout. She found herself tumbling down the stairs as chaos erupted all around them. When she finally stopped she was sprawled up against the wall, out of breath. As she looked around in stunned disbelief she caught sight of Mrs. Norris rounding the top of the stairs. Their eyes met and they stared at each other for the space of a moment before she darted off in the opposite direction. It didn't take long to realize Filch would be there soon.

She shook her head and tried to get to her feet as she listened to the portraits shouting and calling for the headmaster that students were out of bed. She could also hear Peeves cackling and howling from somewhere deep in the castle.

She gained her feet only to lose her balance, and she fell against the wall. She still couldn't get a full breath of air, and allowed herself to close her eyes for the space of a moment before opening them up and taking stock of the situation. She was immediately confused by what she saw: only half of Finn's body was visible from between the missing stair step, and Poe was nowhere to be seen.

"Finn…?"

"Rey!" Finn's voice was strained. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah I… I think so." Her head was still swimming. Where was Poe? Was he still hidden underneath the invisibility cloak?

"Good. Now you gotta help me, quick!"

She stumbled up to where Finn was huffing, apparently struggling to catch his breath, but horror filled her when she finally reached his side. Poe wasn't underneath the invisibility cloak. Poe had fallen through the vanishing stair and Finn was draped over the edge of the step, somehow holding onto his wrists. Poe's eyes were closed, and a scarlet streak was dripping from his hairline.

Rey paled as she dropped to her knees. He must have hit his head as he fell through.

She tried to help as best she could but Finn's arms were much longer than hers and time was running out. She could hear Peeves drawing closer. Rey thought she heard the portraits saying that Headmaster Skywalker had been awakened and that several of the heads of houses were on their way to the scene.

"Try to bring him up a bit and I can grab one of his arms!"

Finn attempted to do so, but it soon became apparent that he was in no position to move without losing his grip on his brother's wrists. Finn fell forward a little with a pant. "It's no use, I can't move him. Do you have your wand?"

"My wand!" She felt a surge of hope as she reached to pull it from her pocket… and her fingers closed around air. She started patting herself down with rising panic. "I can't find it!"

"What's this I hear about ickle students wandering around out of bed at this time of night?" Peeves' maniacal chuckle sounded far too close for comfort. "Ole' Peevesy hopes something truly terrible has happened..."

"You need to go now!"

"I'm not going to leave you!' Rey hissed.

"I can hold him until help arrives," Finn whispered urgently. "If they find you here with us, you might not be able to stay with us over the summer holiday. Now take the cloak and go!"

She was torn, but she heard hurried footsteps from below, and the fear in Finn's eyes was enough to catapult her into action. She somehow managed to find the cloak and map, and threw the former around her as she ran blindly up the stairs. She barely avoided running into a blustering Filch as she dodged around the corner, and she was grateful for all the noise echoing in the corridor or else she was sure he would have heard her muttered curse as she ducked underneath his swinging lantern.

"Aha! There you are you little rats! Thought you could get away with sneaking around eh? Just wait until the headmaster sees this! You'll be expelled for sure!"

His breathless cackle sent a slither of fear down Rey's back. What had she done? Were her best friends in the world about to be expelled because she'd convinced them that Kylo Ren was a Death Eater? What if they found her? Would she lose the only place in the world she had ever considered a home?

"What's going on here?" McGonagall's terse voice cut through the babble and effectively quieted almost all voices but the still gleeful Peeves.

"Student's out of bed mistress!" Filch declared happily, "I caught em' right in the act!"

"Mr. Dameron, what's going on? Good gracious!"

Rey couldn't help herself, she peeked around the corner and watched, wide-eyed, as McGonagall pulled out her wand and swiftly levitated Poe's limp form out of Finn's hands and safely set him on the steps. "Call Madam Pomfrey immediately!"

"What in the name of Merlin's beard is going on?"

Master Skywalker's sudden appearance made Rey's mouth drop. It was almost as if he'd appeared out of thin air. But apparition wasn't possible within the castle, and he was in his nightgown and cap no less!

"I don't know Luke, but I'm sure Mr. Dameron here should be able to give us a very accurate account as to why he and his brother were almost killed on the stairway at this time of night!"

"There were three of them Minerva!" One of the portraits called out urgently. "She went that way!"

Rey was frozen on the spot until every eye on the stairwell turned her direction. Wands were raised, but she didn't wait to see the result. She turned and fled the scene. She had to find Kylo Ren, it was the only way she could keep Poe and Finn from being expelled now. She wouldn't lose the only family she'd ever had because of this. She had to find him. She had to!


	6. Meetings and Missions

Kylo Ren couldn't help smirking as he slipped through a hidden passageway and away from the commotion on the third floor. He'd had an inkling he was being followed by someone over the last few weeks, and now he knew exactly who he was up against. The orphan and her two lap dogs. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined a better diversion while he went about his business. McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and even his Uncle were going to be occupied for the next few hours, giving him a much better chance to slip away, unnoticed. There was no way those two Dameron boys weren't going to be expelled now. And with the girl on her own… well, she was clever, he'd give her that, but she was no match for his skill. He slipped in and out of dark passageways as he made his way to the garden gate. He expertly avoided ghosts and gossiping portraits, only caught up for a moment as Peeves flew by in a terrible fit of joy until he emerged into the cold night air. Silence followed him across the foggy grounds towards the Whomping Willow.

He heaved a sigh of distaste as he heard Hux and Phasma bickering. He'd have thought that by becoming Deatheaters and taking the mark, they'd somehow find a way to be happy together. Especially since, for reasons he couldn't fathom, the Dark Lord had given Hux a position in his ranks that almost rivaled his own. He realized he shouldn't have been surprised. Kylo believed that Hux had always wanted to be the Dark Lord's right-hand man, and was willing to do anything to get it. He had always been a bit more fanatical about wizard dominance over Muggles, and creating "The New World Order".

Kylo slipped behind them, undetected, as Hux's dulcet tones were escalating. The two were in the middle of a tiff, and he guessed that their explosive relationship was doomed to fail before much longer.

"All I'm saying is that my father went to great lengths to set up the rally and you really should try to make an effort to appear this time."

"I'm sorry your father went to all that trouble Phasma but as I've told you, I can't go!"

"What's the excuse this time? Is that mangy ball of fluff due for another bath perhaps?"

"Millicent has nothing to do with it-"

"Then perhaps you'll be busy practicing one of your 'Head Deatheater' speeches in the mirror?"

"For your information, the Dark Lord has promised me an extremely important mission!"

"Oh, I see. Running errands to Diagon Alley for the Dark Lord now, are we Armitage? You're turning into a regular Wormtail."

Hux turned bright red.

Phasma continued with venom, "Do be sure to pick up some liquid courage while you're there, won't you darling? Then perhaps you can regain some of your backbone since you've spent so much of your time bent in half and groveling on the floor at his feet."

"Don't pretend you haven't been doing groveling of your own!" Hux sputtered, "I saw you the other evening talking to Bellatrix Lestrange. What was it that you said to her? 'The way you stayed true to the Dark Lord while in Azkaban all those years is truly inspiring. I've always looked up to you as my personal hero'."

"Well I do," Phasma answered with a haughty look. "And I meant every word of it."

"Yeah well, I seem to remember you telling me on one particular occasion that Draco Malfoy' left bum cheek was your personal hero..."

"I did not!" Phasma said shrilly.

"You did!" Hux looked extremely pleased with himself for getting the upper hand. "You were very drunk at the time, but seemed very serious about it..."

Phasma was sputtering, trying desperately to regain the high ground when Kylo chose to reveal himself.

"Friends."

He smiled nastily behind his mask as Phasma and Hux jumped at his sudden appearance.

"Good god Ren, you almost gave me a heart attack! Why do you always have to wear that damned mask? It's quite stupid." Hux nervously smoothed back his hair, belaying his words.

Kylo crossed his arms. "I'm known by many people. I thought it best to have my face covered, should I be discovered leaving the castle."

"How long have you been standing there?" Phasma spat. She was no longer embarrassed, but rather angry.

"Long enough."

"Spying on us were you? I'm sure the Dark Lord will be delighted to hear that we were late to his meeting because you wanted to learn your best friend's secrets."

"Your delight in Malfoy's buttock is no secret. You stare at it often enough."

That shut her up.

"I was held up by a short diversion on the third floor. Those Dameron fools shouldn't bother us any longer."

"What a stroke of good luck," Hux smirked. "And what about the girl?"

"She won't be long behind them."

"Excellent work Ren."

Kylo rolled his eyes. Hux often tried to put himself on equal terms, making himself look more the fool in the process.

He swept past them towards the Whomping Willow, stopping just outside the Willow's reach. With a flick of his wand, he shot a rock at the knob at the base of the trunk, freezing its dangerous limbs with practiced ease. Now came the long crawl. This part of the plan was always a bit untoward since he was so tall and broad-shouldered, but he didn't mind the discomfort very much anymore. This path was necessary for him to achieve his goals. It also helped that he got to see Hux's slightly nervous and displeased face when they emerged on the other side.

It was no secret that Hux still believed the Shrieking Shack was haunted.

Several minutes of uncomfortable silence ensued as they made their way along the cramped corridor and out into the derelict shack.

Kylo looked at his pocket watch. "We're only a little behind schedule. I'm sure the Dark Lord will excuse our absence considering how difficult it is for us to get away from the school."

"Hmph." Hux was trying to flatten his hair, which was covered in a light smattering of cobwebs. "It would be far better if we found a different way to apparate out of this place."

Phasma sniffed. "Don't be such an infant Armitage, you know it's a miracle my father managed to scrounge up a way for us to do so this close to the castle. It's only possible because of his close connection with the minister if you remember."

It wasn't just Kylo who rolled his eyes this time. Phasma was constantly flouting her family's influence at the ministry, but Kylo could admit that having their traces removed early was extremely convenient. He'd initially had to pull strings of his own to get off the Hogwarts grounds using portkeys, thestrals, and even broomsticks to make it past the protections around the old castle, but now all they had to do was apparate from inside the shack.

They disapparated outside the grounds of Malfoy Manor, and despite their lateness, they each took the time to readjust their appearances. They'd really taken it upon themselves to dress to impress tonight: Phasma was wearing the most dazzling and expensive silver robes that money could buy, while Hux was wearing a stuffy suit and tie like some boy playing dress up in his father's clothes. For all his "anti-muggle" blather, the hypocrite hadn't even bothered to put on a robe. Kylo had opted for an outfit that the Dark Lord himself had approved of. His simple yet tasteful custom robes were dark and imposing, and the mask he'd found at Borgin and Burkes had been the perfect addition to the ensemble. The gloves were the Dark Lord's idea. He said it gave him an aura of strength and power.

He clenched his wand in his hand as he passed through the gates, the strange rough wood still a little unfamiliar in his hands. He'd made it himself, with the help of Gregorovitch's extensive notes, which he had acquired through a little incentive and a lot of galleons. It was a far more powerful than the one he'd bought from Ollivanders, although a little unpredictable at times. It was one of the reasons he still kept his original wand packed in his trunk for school use. He didn't want to bring too much undue attention to himself, even if each dull day dragged by at a crawl. He lived for the moments he could slip away from the prison that was Hogwarts and be his true self among his kind.

"There he is, the mighty Kylo Ren."

They had clearly interrupted the meeting, but the Dark Lord didn't seem too concerned about it.

Kylo bowed to Lord Voldemort before taking his normal place at his right hand. Hux stood at his other side, looking smug, while Phasma made herself comfortable across from Draco. She had the audacity to wink at him, making Hux frown, before warily looking up. The table of Deatheaters was uncharacteristically silent and fidgety, the most likely cause the woman suspended above the table in midair.

She looked vaguely familiar to Kylo, though he couldn't exactly say why...

"As you were saying Yaxley?"

The man looked fevered, "Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen."

Voldemort turned to Snape.

Snape was smiling. "My source told me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish. It would not be the first time; he is known to be susceptible."

"I assure you, my Lord, Dawlish seemed quite certain."

"If he has been confounded, naturally he is certain. I assure you Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry."

Harry Potter. The boy Lord Voldemort wished to kill above all others. It was a wonder to him that Harry Potter was not already dead, considering his obvious lack of talent. He was not a danger as much as his friend, Hermoine Granger. Even the girl Rey was better equipped to fight Voldemort than the boy. She at least had wits. At any rate, anyone could see that with Granger dead, Potter wouldn't stand a chance. However, Kylo had no desire to embroil himself in politics, that was Hux's ambition. It was unnecessary to kill anyone who was insignificant to the cause unless the Dark Lord desired it, and since the Dark Lord did not seem to think of the Granger girl as a threat, Kylo would leave her alone. She was safe... for now.

Kylo tuned back into the conversation, which had flowed steadily onward without his notice.

Yaxley was speaking again. "Thicknesse has been assured my Lord, and as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he has regular contact not only with the Minister himself but also with the Heads of all the other Ministry departments. It will, I think, be easy, now that we have such a high-ranking official under our control, to subjugate the others, and then they can all work together to bring Scrimgeour down.

"As long as our friend Thicknesse is not discovered before he has converted the rest," Said Voldemort. "At any rate, it remains unlikely that the Ministry will be mine before next Saturday. If we cannot touch the boy at his destination, then it must be done while he travels. I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes where Harry Potter is concerned. Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors than his triumphs."

That the Dark Lord would admit to having errors was a surprise, what was even more surprising was his sudden and subtly vicious attack of the Malfoy family. None were spared, not even Draco, and Klyo couldn't help but sneak a look at Phasma's face. She looked like she was sucking on a sour lemon. Then came the uncomfortable moment when the Dark Lord turned his gaze on the lady, still unconscious and revolving above the table.

"Do you recognize our guest, Severus?"

"Ah yes."

"And you, Draco? Kylo?"

Draco seemed unable to face the rotating body, while Kylo was unable to look away. "No my Lord."

"But you would not have taken her classes. For those of you who don't know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage."

This seemed to grab attention around the room and sparked a memory in Kylo's brain. He was suddenly grateful for the mask, and his training in Occlumency. The Dark Lord was especially adept at reading his thoughts and would have certainly read the sudden flair of confusion and uncertainty in his heart.

"Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles... how they are not so different from us..."

This enraged many around the table. Some spat and hissed.

"Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defense of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the purebloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance... She would have us all mate with Muggles... or, no doubt, werewolves..."

The Dark Lord was getting angry. Hux was sneering. There was a hunger in both their eyes for blood. It didn't take much to know what was coming next.

"Avada Kedavra."

The woman fell to the table, dead. Many of the Deatheaters leaped back, and Draco fell off his chair. Even Hux and Phasma couldn't hide their shock. If Kylo hadn't had so much practice hiding his true feelings, he too would have been among them. But he had to maintain his aura of strength, and he was promptly rewarded for it. The Dark Lord appeared pleased by his implacability.

"Kylo, Hux, I have special missions for you."

"Yes my Lord," Hux answered eagerly.

Kylo was a little more subdued in his answer. This was what he had been waiting for. The Dark Lord had assured him a task that would enable him to prove his true potential. He inclined his head. "Yes my Lord."


	7. Secrets Revealed

Rey sat in the shadows of the castle in shocked silence. It had started to rain in the last ten minutes, but she hadn't moved a muscle in over thirty. One hand was tightened into an empty fist, and the other was curled around the recording device that had allow her to hear far more than she'd ever dared imagine.

She finally learned the truth about Kylo Ren, but the truth had come at a heavy price. Professor Charity Burbage, one of her favorite teachers in the school, was dead. She ached to realize that they'd never again have long conversations over tea and biscuits on Friday evenings, and wished with all of her heart that there had been something she could have done to save her.

Her face darkened as she thought about Professor Snape. It wasn't nearly as shocking to learn that he was a pathetic little snake, than to realize that he would allow anyone to murder such a lovely woman without so much as a word. He was her colleague! Rey had seen the two of them talking in the great hall during meals, apparently enjoying their conversations, yet he hadn't raised a finger to save her.

Anger burned in her chest. If he was standing in front of her right now, she'd hex him so hard that nobody would be able to tell him apart from a pile of thestral droppings on the lawn. It was probably a good thing she didn't have her wand, or she might have used it to damage something.

She stared down at the device in her hand. Despite the terrible things she'd heard over the headphones, she was also able to obtain a lot of valuable information.

And none of it would have been possible if her plan hadn't succeeded.

It had seemed like fate had guided her to ask a fellow Muggle-raised classmate to teach her how charm her CD player several years ago. The charm allowed electronic devices to work inside the castle, and although she hadn't thought about the charm's other uses at the time, when Poe had hatched this plan, the solution had immediately presented itself. The charm on the recorder had allowed her to listen in on the conversation at the Malfoy mansion directly from the castle grounds.

It hadn't been easy to pull off by any means, and had the enormous potential for disaster, but luck had once again been on her side. She would be forever grateful to Peeves, who'd delayed Kylo long enough for her to stick the bug in a pouch on the back of his belt, and it had also been Peeves' obnoxious laughter that had masked the sound of her arrival and retreat. And despite the plan's rocky beginnings, it couldn't have worked out any better.

Unfortunately she was now stuck trying to figure out what to do next.

She needed to tell someone about all this obviously, but who? Who would believe her? Surely some of the adults would, but on the whole they seemed too afraid to do anything since the ministry started cracking down on anyone who spoke out about Voldemort. And how could she blame them, knowing what she did now? And then there was all that stuff about Potter…

Potter!

Rey jumped to her feet, suddenly feverish. She had to tell someone that they knew! According to Poe, Professor McGonagall was in the Order of the Phoenix. Surely she would want to hear what she had to say. And maybe this was her opportunity to speak on behalf of Finn and Poe. If McGonagall was willing to listen to the tape, maybe they'd have a chance.

Rey rushed into the castle, her tiny, bedraggled figure trailing muddy footsteps up and down several passages before leading directly to Professor McGonagall's door.

"Professor McGonagall! Please open up, it's urgent!"

She was pounding so forcefully that she actually stumbled forward when the door was finally wrenched open from the inside.

Anger quickly gave way to shock. "Good gracious me, what has happened to you? Quickly, go fetch Horace and let him know we've found his student."

As Professor McGonagall ushered her inside and closed the door, Rey saw a quick movement in the portrait as the character left it's frame.

Muttering darkly, McGonagall expunged the mud and water from her clothing with a swift flick of the wrist, and conjured up a blanket to place around her shoulders. "What do you have to say for yourself? Covered in mud from head to toe and out of bed after hours. The Dameron boys in the infirmary. I've had all the prefects searching around the castle for you, and you still managed to evade them."

"I-" Now that Rey was standing there, she was suddenly afraid she wouldn't believe her. "I-don't. I mean I just, I was following someone and I listened to a conversation... I um... oh please tell me you aren't going to expel Finn and Poe! I would die if they were expelled because of me!"

And with that she burst into tears.

"Now now Minerva, she's clearly been through a lot. Let us give her a moment to collect herself."

Even through her tears, Rey had enough wits about her to recognize the voice of Headmaster Skywalker. "I'm sorry sir, I'm so sorry."

"What's wrong dear?" He asked, not unkindly, although he was clearly upset.

"It's Voldemort!"

Several portraits gasped, McGonagall shuddered, and one of the Headmaster's bushy eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I have it here!" She held up her recording device, and it was taken from her with a look of extreme distaste.

"I assume this is a Muggle contraption."

"Yes, it records conversations, and I- well sir I... um..."

"Well?"

The answer burst from her before she could temper it. "It's Kylo Red sir! He's a Deatheater!"

The silence that met this announcement was deafening.

"He was there, and Professor Burbage... Voldemort killed her!"

Rey began to cry even harder, and for a few minutes the only sounds in the room were Rey's sobs, and McGonagall's attempts to comfort her.

After she'd cried out most of her tears, she finally looked up. She had feared the Headmaster would be angry, shocked, surprised, but the resignation that had fallen upon his features was far worse. It shook her to her core.

"I suppose your... recording device, holds evidence of this."

"Yes sir... among other things." she finished with a whisper.

"How does it work?"

With a sniff, Rey told him how she'd charmed it and gave him the headphones. He amplified the volume so that the entire room could hear. The Headmaster's face was an implacable mask throughout the unfolding of the story, but professor McGonagall had to sit down halfway through the telling. Rey couldn't seem to stop the tears from falling, her sadness at Professor Burbage's death striking a new raw chord within her as she listened to it a second time.

As soon as the recording was finished, the headmaster slowly set down the device. He seemed to think for a moment, then used his wand to do something very strange. Rey watched in confusion as he placed the tip of his wand to his temple and pulled it back, a long gossamer thread stringing along behind it. He tugged until the thread disconnected, then placed it in a bottle where it settled into a shimmering pool of blue. She barely had time to speculate about what he'd done before the bottle disappeared into the folds of his robes.

Then, with a flick a his wrist, her recording device exploded. Both McGonagall and Rey shrieked.

"Luke!"

"My recorder!"

"I'm sorry that it has to be this way," The Headmaster responded calmly, "but this story cannot leave the circle of this room. It endangers too many. Rey, can you promise me you won't tell another soul about this? This is very important. No one must know."

The last of her tears had disappeared in her shock. She hadn't anticipated needing to hide anything, and she certainly didn't want to keep secrets from her best friends. After a moment or two of struggling to find a way around the promise, she landed upon the answer.

"I promise."

"What do you promise?"

"I promise not to speak of anything I heard in this room tonight with another living soul."

He gave her a hard look before apparently being satisfied. "Very well."

At that moment there was a knock at the door, and Professor Slughorn came huffing into the room. "Good gracious me, Rey! Luke, what on Earth has happened?"

"Nothing that cannot be explained in the morning." He replied with an uncharacteristically friendly smile. "Please take Rey back to her room, she has had a very trying night. No disciplinary action will be required for her or the Dameron boys beyond a day or two in detention, as either of you see fit. Feel free to pass on this information to Professor Sprout, Minerva."

"Of course Luke." She answered with a frown. She clearly had more she wished to say on the subject, but chose in that moment not to address it. For Rey's part, she was too shocked at this fortunate turn of events to do anything other than open her hand as her wand was offered to her by Professor Slughorn, and she allow herself to be ushered out of the room. He left her inside the dungeon after giving her a distracted pat on the head and reprimanding her for her foolishness. However, instead of heading to bed Rey found a warm corner of the Common room and curled up underneath a spare blanket. After some minutes of listening to the crackling of the fireplace and the soft burbling of the lake behind the window, Rey fell into an exhausted sleep.


	8. Luke Skywalker, Headmaster of Howarts

THE NEXT EVENING...

Luke Skywalker stood at the window of his office, eyes closed, fingers steepled in silent meditation.

He didn't want to believe it. Ben Solo, his nephew- the boy who used to collect chocolate frog cards and giggle whenever Chewie threw him up into the air and levitated him safely to the ground- was now serving the Dark Lord Voldemort.

The thought sent a pang through his heart. When he was offered the position as Headmaster of Hogwarts, he'd agreed to take it thinking he'd be much more involved in his nephew's magical education. Dumbledore had warned him it would be difficult to maintain a proper balance between work and life, especially with a Minister like Cornelius Fudge, but he'd been proud enough to believe he was up to the task. Then his sister had agreed that his being there was a good idea...

He breathed in deep and let it out with a sigh.

He'd quickly learned that being Headmaster was much more political than it had first appeared. He spent more time trying to appease the Ministry and the children's parents than actually interacting with the students. Then Voldemort had risen again, and he'd had such a difficult time fighting the ministry, and that hag Dolores Umbridge, that by the time things finally got back to normal, his nephew had showed no interest in being associated with the Headmaster.

He'd failed Han and Leia, and he knew it was his responsibility to do something about it.

He turned at the sound of panting. One of the portraits appeared back in his frame.

"He's on his way Headmaster!"

"Thank you Dippet."

He sat heavily in his chair. His gaze traveled to the pensieve cabinet that held all his shimmering memories.

For the last several years he'd noticed Ben's decided interest in the dark arts, slowly growing closer to those who shared an affinity for Voldemort's ideals. But he'd never imagined Ben Solo, son of two famous Aurors who was under his care, would ever turn to the dark side.

Such hubris.

The girl Rey would hopefully keep her silence about what she knew. As far as he could tell, his nephew hadn't participated in any violence, at Malfoy Manor or otherwise. Perhaps it wasn't too late to save him, to bring him back from the darkness...

There was a knock at the door.

The time for confrontation, at last, had come. "Enter."

* * *

 _Hello! and here we are again after a long hiatus. How the time does fly when you have writer's block_ ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

_I'll admit, I almost gave up on this story. It felt like a massive undertaking, but after re-watching the entire Star Wars Saga from start to finish I realized that I wanted to get back into it!_

_However i_ _t took me some time to figure out where I wanted to go from the last chapter. It occurred to me, after re-reading what I'd written in previous chapters, that I'd sort of mucked up the Harry Potter story and timeline beyond repair, so you'll have to beg my pardon. I didn't believe going back and changing the entire arc of the story was the right thing to do, so here I am, trying to move forward with as much integrity as possible!_

_Thus I should warn you, from henceforth this shall be a much more a Star Wars story set in an alternative Harry Potter history._

_That being said, I hope you'll enjoy where I've gone so far, and that you'll have patience as I plug away with the rest! (Fear not, I have several new chapters much longer than this one in the works. Prepare yourself for a story-palooza coming soon!)_


	9. Painful Meetings- Pt. 1

It was almost midnight when Kylo climbed out of the portrait hole, his thoughts dark and dwelling on the note he’d slipped into his back pocket.

All was quiet in the castle except the muffled echo of his footfalls as he passed through the empty halls. A portrait nearby snuffled in her sleep, and he reflexively tugged at his left sleeve. An unfortunate habit he'd picked up recently. It was a gross display of weakness, but he had good reason for it. He'd never been summoned for a private meeting with his Uncle before, except maybe once or twice in his first year, so this late night conversation was rather disconcerting.

What if his Uncle suspected he’d become a Deatheater? He'd done his best to be careful over the last few days, but there was always a chance he'd slipped up. Like last night, for example.

_The girl._

His frown deepened. She'd been making a nuisance of herself lately, and though it seemed unlikely, there was a chance that she knew something and had told his Uncle of her suspicions. He couldn't imagine what would happen if his Uncle managed to read his thoughts, and saw the Dark Lord's plans for Harry Potter...

He shuddered at the idea. He'd seen what the Dark Lord did to those who failed him, the pain that they endured. He had no desire to be among them.

His jaw was set as he swept around the corner and approached the bottom of the staircase. He wasn't sure what his Uncle had in store for him, but he'd learned much about occlumency over the summer. Perhaps now was the time to test it, to prove his worth and tap into his potential. Perhaps he could-

There was a short intake of breath behind him.

He automatically reached for his Uncle's letter. "I have permission from the Headmaster to-"

He came to a stumbling halt. He'd expected to meet a prefect while on this walk, or maybe a professor, but it was neither.

It was _her_.

It was always her.

He could feel her emotions roiling beneath her frozen facade, and he knew he shouldn't antagonize her. Now was not the time for a duel in the hallways. And yet something kept him rooted to the floor.

He'd heard the rumors about last night. Rey hadn't been caught with the Dameron brothers, she'd been missing for hours until she'd arrived at Professor McGonagall's office covered in rain and mud.

Fear ensnared him.

What if she'd managed to follow him? What if, in all the confusion, she'd somehow tracked them to the whomping willow, and overheard their plans? They'd taken every possible precaution, set up spells around the shrieking shack that would have informed them if anyone was snooping. He also knew she didn't know how to apparate, but what if...

He turned about to fully face her and pulled out his wand, hiding it behind him.

She tensed, and he let an uncomfortable silence linger between them.

"I heard the Dameron brothers weren't expelled after last night's unfortunate accident. That must be a great relief to you."

"What do you want?" She spat.

"From you? Nothing much. Just your memories." He took a step towards her.

"Stop where you are or you'll regret it."

He paused, pretending to consider, then took another.

The spell came at him so fast, he barely had time to deflect it. He laughed. "You've mastered non-verbal spells. I'm impressed."

She bared her teeth and let the curses fly. But she was no match for him. He prowled, steadily guiding her towards the stair railing. Then when the moment was right, he cast a curse close enough to catch her off balance.

He flicked his wand and she flew back with an unholy shriek. She landed up against the side of the stairwell, and he smiled. Just as he planned it.

Another flick and she was bound tightly to the railing.

He took his time picking up her wand, which she'd dropped in her surprise. "Incarcerous. A very useful spell, especially when one's opponent doesn't know when they're in over their head."

She was struggling against her restraints when he bent down to look at her more closely. He'd rarely been this close to her before, close enough to see the small scar on her right cheek, and the light smattering of freckles across her nose. Then there were her eyes. They glistened in the torchlight, alive with fear. Tears threatened to fall from her dark lashes.

"It's useless to fight. We both know I can take whatever I want." He raised his wand, the one he'd made and trained to use for stronger spells. "Legilimens."

Her memories were watery before him. He could see only vague pictures before they rippled, then went black.

He frowned. She frowned back, breathing hard.

"Legilimens!"

Her teeth clenched and she hissed. He found himself unable to grasp the images in her mind, but they were ever so slowly rising to the surface. He could feel her will slipping. If he could only see but a picture…

At last there was a crack.

She gasped.

He could see her on the stairwell, the entire scene of last night's adventure on display. He watched her fall down the stairs, and run to help Finn, who was holding Poe's lifeless form over an abyss. Then she was dodging Filch, apparently invisible, and sneaking behind a dark figure in a hall. He heard a loud cackling, and her hand reached out, placing something very small inside the pocket of a very familiar belt...

His hand twitched back. Confusion filled him, and his attention wavered. Not much, but enough for her to regain control.

 _No_!

He wasn't fast enough to shutter his wild thoughts. She was inside his mind in a flash, her will so strong that for a moment he completely forgot himself.

The Dark Lord had done the same to him many times before, but he had never felt this same level of-

Connection.

It was her voice that spoke the thought inside his head. Emotions flooded him like a wave. Confusion. Anger. Shame. And something else he didn't dare name...

With a gasp he broke the link, and they were both panting. Kylo could still feel the ghost of her inside his head, and it sent a shiver down his spine. She was powerful, even more powerful than she knew.

Ben?

"Shut up!" He stumbled back with a vicious shake of his head.

She was staring at him with wide eyes, and for a moment he was caught in their spell.

Then reason began to return. A sudden impulse seized him. The stunning spell he released hit her in the chest. She convulsed once and slumped sideways, eerily still.

He released an unsteady breath, watching her for some moments before dropping her wand at her feet.

"Silencio." He muttered at last, sealing her momentary silence, then with a blink he turned and made his way up the stairs to his Uncle's office.


	10. The Mighty Kylo Ren

"Enter."

Kylo didn't have time to prepare himself as the door opened of its own accord. He was still shaken from his altercation with the girl, and it was difficult to keep a steady head. The sight of his uncle sitting gravely behind his desk didn't do anything to ease his worries.

"Come in Ben. Have a seat."

He walked as slowly as he thought was wise, hoping to buy himself some time to piece his broken thoughts back together. His palms were sweating, and he hoped he wasn't obvious as he wiped them on the hem of his robes. He tried to think about what the Dark Lord would instruct him to do.

_Be your own master. Be in control._

So long as he kept his mind locked away, and his thoughts centered on his goal, nothing could be taken from him by his Uncle except what he allowed.

He caught a quick glimpse of himself in a small mirror, and felt some relief. He was still wearing a mask of haughty indifference, and although there was a glint of desperation in his eyes, he didn't suspect his Uncle would notice it. The Headmaster was obviously annoyed that Kylo was taking his sweet time, and when the younger man at last folded himself into his seat across the desk, he was practically scowling.

Kylo pretended not to notice, folding his hands beneath his robe as he focused on taking deep breaths to clear his mind. If only he could stop seeing Rey's crumpled body on the floor, his heart might stop trying to beat its way out of his chest.

They sat in a tense silence, with nothing but the strange sounds of the Headmaster's office to fill the space between them. Kylo had to resist the urge to squirm in his seat.

_Keep calm, keep in control. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out._

It wasn't working, but he felt confident that his illusion of control was at least firmly in place.

For now.

His Uncle was the first to speak. "I heard from your parents the other day."

"Really."

Kylo pretended to take no interest whatsoever in the Headmaster's desk, although it was filled with strange books and relics from places he'd heard of but never been. Places his father and mother had gone without him.

"They're worried about you."

He swallowed down a flicker of pain, and offered a sneer instead. "They?"

Luke sighed, and Kylo hated the pity he saw in his eyes. His Uncle was good friends with his father, and knew better than anyone who his father was, and what his failures were. The list was long by anyone's standards.

"We both know your father isn't much for sentiment. It's one of the reasons him and your mother…" He let the sentence fade into nothing.

Kylo tightened his jaw. His parents had tried to hide their marital troubles from him, but anyone who was close to them knew that they didn't get along. When he was young he used to sneak to the kitchen for food, and had overheard many late night arguments about school, money, work, marriage. Anything and everything. They could never seem to agree on any of it, at least in private. In public they were a perfect team.

As he got older, Kylo wondered why his parents had gotten married in the first place. He'd asked Chewwie about it once, and the werewolf had simply shrugged and signed the answer:

_"They met during Voldemort's first rise to power, risking their lives every day to fight Deatheaters. It's no wonder they fell in love._ _And things were so unstable at the time, anyone could die at any moment, like the Potters. They didn't see a reason not to marry."_

He felt a pang at the thought of his adopted uncle, a rather hairy, imposing man who sported dreadlocks. According to Deatheater standards, Chewwie was a dirty half-breed. Kylo disagreed privately, at least when it came to Chewwie. Werewolf or not, the giant was one of the only people, besides his mother, who'd given a damn about him when he was a kid.

If there was anyone in the world he wished to talk to right now, it was him, not his infuriating nosy Uncle Luke.

"You know how much they want to see you," Luke said firmly. "But they've dedicated their lives to assuring the future is fair and just, for Muggles and Wizards alike. Surely you can appreciate that?"

 _"What about my future? Aren't I a part of this world?"_ Kylo wanted to scream, but he kept his mouth clamped shut.

"This is so much bigger than you or I, Ben. With the threat of Voldemort on the rise, they're busier than ever keeping Muggles safe from the Deatheaters. They recognize, as you must, that with great responsibility comes great sacrifice."

"I've always known that Uncle," Kylo's eyes were burning, his words dripping with venom. "I have been made to know it. My entire childhood I have been sacrificed for the sake of this damn crusade."

"I don't expect you to understand..."

"Understand what? That I was a mistake? That it would have been better if I'd never been born?"

"That's not what I'm saying." His Uncle replied, rubbing a tired hand across his face. "Your parents don't think you're a mistake, and neither do I. They love you Ben."

"Well they have a funny way of showing it," He said hotly, and sat back in his seat with a scowl. "I'm done talking about this. Why did you call me into your office? I'm sure it wasn't to argue about my parents and their failing devotion to their only son."

Several strikes of the clock added weight to Kylo's chest as Luke gave him a hard look. There was no denial from his Uncle, which was worse than an admission.

"Where do you go when you disappear on school nights?"

Kylo's pulse began to quicken. "Nowhere."

"Funny. I didn't realize 'nowhere' included entering the secret entrance at the whomping willow to access the shrieking shack."

Anxiety clutched at his chest. The girl must have told his Uncle, it was the only way he could know.

Control _your thoughts. He cannot take anything from you that you do not give willingly._

"You can't hide this from me Ben."

Kylo felt, more than saw, Luke's shift in demeanor. From concerned Uncle to calculating Headmaster in 1 second flat, and he realized now exactly how this was going to play out. The Skywalkers were some of Dumbledore's most loyal servants, and if he didn't tell his Uncle something that he would accept as a plausible excuse, he would use magic to get the answer. Anything for the cause. Not even having the same blood would save him from his guilt.

His hand itched towards his wand, which he'd hastily stuffed into one of his robe pockets. He gripped the rough wood in his shaking hand, taking some strength and comfort in its answering power.

He fought to keep his voice even. "So me and some friends have been leaving Hogwarts at night to explore Hogsmeade by ourselves, so what? It's not like the Weasley twins or those Dameron boys don't pull the same stunts, and you let them get away with it."

"I don't condone their actions any more than I do yours," Luke said with a sharp look. "and I would stop them if I could catch them. But that's not why I'm worried. You realize that your friends are the children of confirmed Deatheaters?"

Kylo didn't have to feign his disdain on this point at least. He scoffed. "You really think Armitage has the brains to be a Deatheater? Or that Phasma cares about anything other than being connected to someone important? They're nothing but a pair of preening peacocks. They're harmless enough, but I like to keep them around for a laugh."

"Knowing you, I'm surprised you'd consider such people friends."

Kylo tried to control his sneer at the very idea of his Uncle thinking he knew him at all. He shrugged. "Being a Skaywalker means making friends is difficult. Hux and Phasma may be useless, but at least they aren't afraid of me."

His Uncle looked unconvinced.

"I'm sorry if you don't like my answers, Uncle, but they're the truth."

_Or close enough._

Kylo met his Uncle's hard stare for several painful beats of his heart before his Uncle sat back with a tired nod. In that moment, he seemed to age a decade. "Very well."

Relief flowed through Kylo. He rose and turned to leave, eager to end this interrogation.

"Good. Then if there's nothing else, I'll bid you goodnight Uncle."

He was almost at the door when his Uncle spoke up quietly. "I'll tell your mother you miss her, when she comes tomorrow."

Kylo whipped back around. "My mother-?"

He choked on the rest of the words at the sudden pressing of Luke's will into his mind.

_Legilimency._

He desperately tried to think of the counter curse, but it was too late. His Uncle was a skilled Wizard, and his will surprisingly strong. Kylo was unable to stop the flow of memories that rose up at his Uncle's prompting. Dread built inside of him as images from the previous night arose, from his flight through the castle to the conversation outside the whomping willow, then to the gate outside the Malfoy's mansion.

_No!_

At last he built up some resistance to his Uncle's probing. His will rose along with his rage.

This was exactly what the Dark Lord had been trying to warn him against, he finally realized. His Uncle had finally proven it. He did not belong to the legacy of the great Skywalker name. He was a mistake, a castaway- collateral damage in an old man's war against progress.

He could feel the sweat beading on his brow as he fought to keep his Uncle at bay, out of the dining room where he would see the Dark Lord and learn the truth. Desperation alone allowed him enough focus to draw his wand, but as he raised his hand he realized he was too late.

His Uncle's focus faltered as he saw Voldemort at the head of the Malfoy's table. In his memory, conversation halted, and every eye turned to watch Kylo's entrance.

_"There he is, the mighty Kylo Ren."_

"Oh Ben." His Uncle murmured, stricken.

Kylo watched in horror as his Uncle began to raise his wand. He could feel the intent. His Uncle was about to put him under the Imperius curse.

Rage filled Kylo until he could see and feel nothing more than his hate. Hate for his Uncle, hate for his parents, hate for everything this stupid wizard war had taken from him.

"Occlumens!" Kylo screamed, and the counter curse blasted from the tip of his wand with such force, half the contents of the room exploded in a siren's scream. His Uncle went flying backward, eyes wide as saucers until with a crack of his head, he slumped up against a column holding up the portico. Kylo himself was blasted in the opposite direction, everything within him tearing apart.

Before the dust began to settle he was back on his feet, quivering with anger. He could hear the portraits around the room shouting, and pieces of the walls crumbling onto the floor. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that soon the entire castle would be awake and searching for him, yet he stood rooted to the floor, taking in the chaos and destruction he'd unleashed.

He felt drunk on the intoxicating afterglow of his power.

Book pages were fluttering down upon the broken remains of the room like ghostly ash. Furniture had been upturned, mysterious instruments been smashed. Nothing had escaped his wrath.

At last he was free!

Free from this foolish farce of a life at Hogwarts. He hadn't gone by Ben Solo in a long time, but he knew he would be Ben nevermore. Like this room, he would destroy his past and rise from the ashes to become the Mighty Kylo Ren.

Despite the anger he felt pulsing through his muscles and veins, the lens of his mind felt more focused than it had been in his entire life. He needed to take action, and soon. He'd seen the portraits running out of their frames for help, and he knew not all of them remained in the castle. Soon, even Dumbledore's Army would know what he'd done.

He stared across the room, through the dust and the debris, to his Uncle's still, prone form.

He would no longer be welcome at Hogwarts, or at his parents' house because of this. He was soon to be one of the most wanted wizards on the continent.

The idea gave him a vicious flush of pleasure. Soon, the only name that would rival his own would be The Dark Lord's.

And there was the only hitch. His Uncle had seen the Dark Lord, and while the plans for Potter had not been discovered, his Uncle had seen who was gathered at Malfoy Manor. He would be able to divine that something big was being planned, and soon.

For a moment he considered killing his Uncle, but his sense overruled the childish urge. It would be foolish to derail the Dark Lord's plans any further. He still held the Dark Lord's secrets in his head, so he could salvage the situation without any rash decisions.

Which meant he needed to leave the castle while he still could.

He pressed his fingers to the dark mark, and felt the sharp stab of pain as it called across the country to his master.

Then, with one last hate filled glance at his Uncle's still form, he fled the room.


End file.
